updated September 29, 2025
Thank you for joining us at the September Board Meeting in New York. We look forward to seeing you in December at the Board meeting and 20th anniversary event, for which you should now have the invitation
updated June 30, 2025
Thank you for joining the June Board meeting. We have also sent out the Save the Date for the 20th anniversary intimate event on December 8th in San Francisco.
updated may 13, 2025
Many members of the professional team attended the recent JPro25 conference presented by Leading Edge and JFNA. Some continued on in Baltimore for SRE Network and JFNA’s Jewish Belonging Summit.
Thank you for joining the March Board Meeting. We look forward to seeing you in June and welcoming Amy Born and Rafael Burde to the Board.
updated February 11, 2025
The Foundation welcomed David Goodman to the professional team as as its firs-ever Program Director, Technology Strategy.
updated December 10, 2024
Thank you for joining the December Board Meeting. As we shared, we will soon welcome David Goodman as the first Program Director, Technology Strategy at the Foundation.
updated October 10, 2024
The Foundation welcomed Orly Goldsmith to the professional team as a Program Officer, Powerful Jewish Learning Experiences.
Christina Gilyutin joined Common Era as its Senior Portfolio Lead, supporting an expansive portfolio of projects and partners and working to redefine what the Jewish experience looks like. Christina has spent her career building expertise in leadership development, supporting social entrepreneurs who are ready to scale, and finding creative ways to support communities of practitioners.
updated August 20, 2024
The Foundation welcomed Leah Chakoff to the professional team as a Program Officer, Exceptional Jewsh Leaders and Educators.
updated June 24, 2024
The Foundation is looking to hire a new Program Officer, Exceptional Jewish Learning Experiences
updated March 26, 2024
The Foundation is looking to hire a new Program Officer, Exceptional Jewish Leaders and Educators
updated January 10, 2024
Margaux Krane joined Common Era as its new Communications and Marketing Manager. Margaux has more than 15 years of experience in various marketing, communications, and managerial roles. Most recently, she was an Account Supervisor at The Sasha Group, a digital marketing agency that is one of the nine businesses under the VaynerX umbrella.
updated January 10, 2024
Thank you for joining us for the December Board meeting.
updated September 27
Thank you for joining us for the Board meeting in New York.
updated August 8
Thank you for a productive Board retreat in Aspen. We look forward to seeing you in New York at the September Board meeting.
updated June 22
Foundation team members attended the recent SRE Network convening, and also have recently conducted site visits in New York and Israel. Two members of the team are in Israel for the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Philanthropic Professionals Track of its Community Leadership Program.
updated June 22
The Foundation hired a new Grants Management Associate, Karen Baskind. Before joining the Foundation, Karen was a Philanthropy Associate at San Francisco’s Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.
updated March 22
Foundation team members were at The iCenter’s iCON convening, March 13-15 and at the Jewish Funders Network conference March 19-21, where multiple team members gave presentations related to the Foundation’s grantmaking.
updated November 9
New Operations Associate. The Foundation welcomed Amanda Leal to the team at the end of October. Amanda serves as the Operations Associate in the Sansome St. office, responsible for supporting the day-to-day office operations.
updated November 1
New Research and Development Managing Director. The Foundation welcomed Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez to the team in October. She is responsible for building a philanthropic strategy that uncovers and accelerates compelling approaches for engagement, education, and everyday meaning in an increasingly diverse and divergent Jewish community. She is working to design operational modes, meet visionary leaders, and create the infrastructure for growth.
Before joining the Foundation, she served as the Managing Director of Daily Provisions, a restaurant brand from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. In this role, she oversaw strategy, growth, and operations, expanding from one fan‐favorite location to four thriving businesses. Her work focused on people, real estate and building NYC’s most crave‐able menu. Jessamyn is also the founder and served as the Chief Executive Officer of the award‐winning Hot Bread Kitchen. Hot Bread is a social enterprise that is an incubator for start‐up food businesses while also helping women achieve economic mobility by preparing them for work in the culinary sector. Under Jessamyn’s leadership, Hot Bread Kitchen trained over 250 women from 42 countries and fostered 172 growing food businesses, creating a nationally recognized brand whose products are sold across the country.
updated September 21
New Research & Development Associate. The Foundation welcomed Mikelle Humble to the team to support the R&D efforts led by Yonah Schiller. Before joining the Foundation, Mikelle supported the activation and success of clinical research trials and advanced public health efforts through the Louisiana State Office of Public Health. Mikelle is a graduate of Louisiana State University, where she studied History and Political Science. She has a passion for streamlining administrative systems and creative problem solving, loves podcasts and plants, and spends much of her free time exploring New Orleans with her French Bulldog, Bianca.
updated September 19
Thank you for a very productive September Board meeting. We look forward to following up on items we discussed as we work toward the final Board meeting of the year in December.
updated August 23, 2022
New Program Officer hired. Following our rigorous search process with DRG Talent Advisory Group, Jenna Hanauer joined the Foundation as the newest member of our Program Team on August 22, 2022. Jenna brings a range of valuable experience from her previous work both inside and outside the Jewish community, most recently serving as Associate Director of Jewish Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle overseeing a range of projects that include leadership development and grantmaking. Jenna also brings knowledge from her work as a manager in the hospitality industry and at Birthright Israel, and her master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. Jenna will begin her work with us in the role of Program Officer, focusing on our Exceptional Jewish Leaders and Educators portfolio.
updated July 14
Searching for a new Office Coordinator. Mallory Morales will be leaving the Jim Joseph Foundation on July 25 to start a new job as Events and HR Associate at Guarding Against Pandemics. We are so grateful to Mallory for her work with the Foundation for nearly 6 years. During her tenure, she served as a Program Assistant, Board Book manager, and more recently as an Office Coordinator, tackling a variety of new responsibilities related to office management and staff engagement. She was instrumental in helping our entire team as we worked from home and during our transition back to the office. Dawne and Kari are developing a job description and recruitment plan for this important role; we will update you on pertinent developments in that regard.